January 11, 2017
REMEMBER YOUR VALUE AS PART OF GOD'S GLORIOUS CREATION
Psalm 8
Michael Amlani
Central Truth
God, the creator of the heavens and earth, is mindful of us and has crowned us with glory and honor. He desires for us to know our worth as we meditate on His glorious creation and our privileged position within that creation.
Key Verse | Psalm 8:4
[W]hat is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him?
(Psalm 8:4)
Psalm 8
How Majestic Is Your Name
To the choirmaster: according to The Gittith. 1 8:1 Probably a musical or liturgical term A Psalm of David.
1
O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.
2
Out of the mouth of babies and infants,
you have established strength because of your foes,
to still the enemy and the avenger.
3
When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
4
what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him?
5
Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings
2
8:5
Or than God; Septuagint than the angels
and crowned him with glory and honor.
6
You have given him dominion over the works of your hands;
you have put all things under his feet,
7
all sheep and oxen,
and also the beasts of the field,
8
the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea,
whatever passes along the paths of the seas.
9
O LORD, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
Dive Deeper | Psalm 8
The glorious news of the Bible and Psalm 8 is that God, creator of the heavens and earth, is mindful and intimately aware of us—our struggles, pains, victories, and everything in between.
A few years ago when my marriage was falling apart and only a few months after we tied the knot, the enemy and father of lies (John 8:44) was working hard to convince me that God was anything but mindful of my pain and circumstances. That's when Christ intervened and took what the enemy meant for harm and used it for my good and His glory. The enemy still tries to whisper to me who I was, but the Holy Spirit shouts who I am in Christ:
Saint (Ephesians 1:1)
New creation (2 Corinthians 5:17)
Slave of righteousness (Romans 6:18)
Chosen race/people (1 Peter 2:9)
Royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9)
God's own possession (1 Peter 2:9)
Holy (Ephesians 1:4)
Redeemed (Galatians 3:13)
Child of God (Romans 8:16)
Heir (Romans 8:17)
I encourage all of us to spend more time embracing our new reality and privileged place among creation. Matt Chandler says it this way in The Explicit Gospel at 216: "[W]e spend so much time trying to put sin to death that we don't spend enough time striving to know God deeply, trying to gaze upon the wonder of Jesus Christ and have that transform our affections to the point where our love and hope are steadfastly on Christ."
In other words, let's fix our eyes on Christ. Instead of trying to re-crucify the flesh (Galatians 5:24), let's unleash the Spirit at work within us who is powerful beyond imagination (Ephesians 3:20). As we focus on the majesty of our creator and the glorious work of His fingers, sin becomes less attractive. We “count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus . . . .” (Philippians 3:8) The Holy Spirit is our helper to remind and teach us (John 14:26), empower us (Acts 1:8), and transform us (Philippians 1:6) into who we were meant to be: a child of God made in His image, according to His likeness, and filled with His breath in our lungs.
Discussion Questions
1. Do you find it difficult to sit back and gaze upon the majesty of God and His creation?
2. Do you ever feel God is not mindful of you or your problems?
3. Do you have a hard time believing everything listed above about who we are in Christ? Do you tend to think of yourself this way?
4. What activities help stir your affections for your Creator (e.g., worship music, reading, being out in nature)?